Overview
The Apsaras brothers from Ioannina rebuilt the abandoned cell into a monastery, and a note in the archive records that hauling the materials up took twenty-two years while the building itself took twenty days. The church of All Saints was painted in 1548, dark and crowded, with a Last Judgement that the guides let you find yourself. The tower with its windlass and net still stands over the old ascent, alongside a barrel that held the community’s water.
Highlights
About two hundred steps, fewer than Great Meteoron, with a bridge across the gap at the top. The frescoes are the reason to come; give them time and let your eyes adjust before judging them. Varlaam sits within walking distance of Great Meteoron, so the two pair naturally in a morning.